A perfect state for scenic road trips, Washington boasts an immense amount of natural beauty and is already known as a destination for world-class wine, combined with adventure and serenity. Its largest city, Seattle, is full of neighborhoods with diverse architecture, green spaces, and urban access, making it an amazing part of Washington state to visit. If you're in Seattle and looking for a bit of an escape from the urban sprawl, there's a wine country suburb waiting for you to spend a leisurely
day. Woodinville is so close to Seattle that it's an easy day trip just outside the city, and you can spend a long afternoon in the town but still be back in a charming yet trendy Seattle neighborhood like Ballard for dinner and sleep in your hotel in the city. Located just half an hour's drive outside of downtown Seattle, Woodinville boasts over 130 wineries in four districts of the town.
Dedicated wine drinkers can purchase one of multiple variations of a Woodinville Wine Pass, which includes discounted tasting and custom tours all throughout Woodinville. Some passes are district-specific, while others include an overarching umbrella of discounts featuring restaurants, distilleries and breweries, and retailers as well. One option even highlights a selection of female winemakers, and most discount passes are valid for more than just a single day's use, allowing visitors to return and explore even more of what the districts have to offer. An important note is that the passes do not include gratuity, so be sure to take that into account when the final bill comes.
Read more: 15 Underrated Vineyards To Visit In California
Woodinville's Downtown District Is The Place To Start A Wine Adventure
The Downtown District of Woodinville sits just on the eastern bank of the Sammamish River. As with many downtown areas of urban cities, the district has had a resurgence with many bars, restaurants, and artisan shops as well as beautiful parks, sculptures, murals, urban farms, and walking trails. Visitors to the Downtown District will find tasting rooms like organic winery Montinore Estate, Italian-inspired Tsillan Cellars, and artisan winery Ancestry Cellars. Dining options include Spanish tapas bar Pintxo by Valdemar, festive Mexican food at Cava Azul Cocina & Cantina, and casual grab-and-go fare at the Woodinville Bodega.
Nestled within the Downtown District is the Schoolhouse District, but you won't find any classes in session in this small but mighty pocket of the Downtown District. The Woodinville Schoolhouse is a 1909 landmark that's been restored, where these days you'll find a small but mighty selection of restaurants, tasting rooms, coffee shops, pastries, pizza, gelato, local events, and even a spa. For over 20 years, every Saturday in May to September, the Woodinville Farmers Market pops up near City Hall in the Schoolhouse District from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where you can peruse all the bounty that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. In addition to the charming farmers market,
The Hollywood District Makes For A Great Overnight Stay
No, not that Hollywood. Located south of the Downtown District, the Hollywood District of Woodinville is actually named after the Hollywood School House, which dates back to 1912. Today, it's a designated landmark in the city and serves as a large event venue. Some larger buildings and complexes in the district house multiple tasting rooms, sometimes up to six, so you're never more than a few minutes walk away from another great batch of wines to taste.
The three-story, modern tasting room at DeLille Cellars, famous for its Bordeaux-style blends, shares a campus with a beautiful wood-toned, award-winning restaurant where diners can enjoy a meal any time of day paired with delicious wines, beers, and cocktails. In contrast with DeLille's modern environment, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington, boasting a French-style winery that sits on 105 acres of beautiful grounds. Along with wine tastings, guests can enjoy garden tours and outdoor concerts in the summer.
For a rustic yet fine-dining experience, head to The Herbfarm, a restaurant located in a charming cottage that serves a seasonal nine-course menu full of ingredients grown on their farm and sourced from the surrounding area. After a day of wine tasting, rest your head at the pet-friendly Willows Lodge, where all rooms include an oversized bathtub. The Hollywood Manor at Tenhulzen Reserve offers short stays, corporate retreats, private guest houses, and even cooking classes.
The Northernmost Warehouse District Hosts Smaller Areas Within It
Aptly named, the Warehouse District of Woodinville perches on a hill just west of Highway 522 and is jam-packed with wineries and other vendors in an area smaller than one square mile. The Warehouse District has expanded to include four smaller neighborhoods: The Gateway, The Warehouse Wineries, The Junction, and Artisan Hill. Located in the northern tip of Woodinville, The Gateway is a good starting point to be able to work your way south towards the rest of the Warehouse District, as well as the other Warehouse neighborhoods.
The Warehouse Wineries area has become a launchpad for smaller wineries and new producers, acting as an incubator where up-and-coming talented winemakers can grow their business as well as collaborate and share knowledge with those around them. The Junction is full of not only wine tasting rooms, but also boasts a wide variety of breweries and distilleries for a change of pace from wine, like Twenty Corners Brewing Co., Metier Brewing Company, Bosk Brew Works, Copper Cat Distillery, Locust Cider, and Washington Creek Distillery. Artisan Hill is home to a variety of winemakers, restaurants, breweries, and distilleries, all housed in eight adjacent buildings, ensuring you don't have to go far or get into a car to explore the entire area.
Visit The West Valley District For Open Space And Unique Sips
Southwest of the Downtown District, the West Valley District lies on the western edge of the Sammamish River. While it doesn't boast quite as many wineries, distilleries, or other businesses as the rest of the other districts, that lack of concentration leaves the West Valley District to feel more open and spacious in comparison to the density of the other areas. This district allows you to savor each sip longer without feeling the need to rush off to another tasting room appointment, and you can relax and unwind at your leisure. Find unique breweries like Rainbrew, which is a family-owned winery that specializes in Korean-style rice wine, making it a welcome break from the plethora of traditional wines and beers in the area. They offer a makgeolli brewing class, where guests can learn about and then make their own batch of rice wine on site, which they then take home and ferment on their own.
The West Valley District is home to a higher number of distilleries, including Four Leaf Spirits, producing rum and Northwest Spirits for bourbon, gin, and vodka. However, if you're still chasing a few final sips of wine, the shared space of Novelty Hill-Januik Winery has a tasting room and a lovely outdoor patio in which to pass the afternoon, featuring pizza on the weekends. On the way out, swing by SaltWorks, Inc., an artisan salt company where you can find a plethora of salts from all over the world to bring home with you, including gourmet salt gifts like black truffle or espresso brava sea salts.
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